Wednesday, July 25, 2012

CM4RG Announces Candidate Endorsements

CHOICES ANNOUNCED TODAY
In a press release this afternoon the group, Costa Mesans For Responsible Government,
announced the candidates they will endorse in the Costa Mesa City
Council race. Their complete press release is at the end of this post.SOLID CITIZENS...
Although they undertook a thorough vetting process to arrive at their
endorsements - dozens of their membership voted on this issue - the
results really did not surprise me. The candidates selected are former
mayor Sandra Genis, attorney and long-time Costa Mesa resident John Stephens and entrepreneur and activist Harold Weitzberg. They all are members of CM4RG. That, in my opinion, does not degrade the importance of this endorsement.

...FROM A SOLID GROUP

Costa Mesans For Responsible Government has been
portrayed by supporters of the slate of candidates that includes two
incumbents and a planning commissioner as some kind of a fringe element -
a bunch of loose cannons. That, of course, is far from the truth.
This group, cobbled together more than eighteen months ago in response
to their concern for what they saw happening in our city, is made up of
hundreds of residents that cover a broad range of political viewpoints -
including some of my fellow Republicans. This group may be a perfect
example of the old saying, "Politics makes for strange bedfellows."
I suspect the process they went through to arrive at this list of
endorsed candidates may have been very much like herding cats.

OPPOSITION CANDIDATES NOT VETTED

It's my understanding that Steve Mensinger, Colin McCarthy and Gary Monahan - the three candidates touted by the Orange County Republican Party - as well as newcomer Al Melone were NOT vetted by the group. In fact, the first three are a big part of the reason CM4RG exists.

AN INTERESTING SEASON AHEAD
The CM4RG candidates, in my view, are individually strong candidates
with their own special skills and history of accomplishments. I believe
they will make this campaign season especially interesting.

WHAT OF LESTER AND KRUPP?
I'm not sure what these endorsements will do, if anything, the candidacy of Sue Lester and Marshall Krupp
at this time. Krupp has given very strong indications that if he was
unable to garner wide, strong community support that he would withdraw
from the race. I guess we'll soon see. August 10th is the drop dead
date.

NO "M"s FOR ME!From my standpoint this process got a whole lot easier today. I simply will not vote for anyone with a surname that begins with an "M".

So, let the games begin...

*****

CM4RG PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Costa Mesans for
Responsible Government Endorses Three Candidates for Costa Mesa City Council

Costa Mesans for
Responsible Government (CM4RG.org), a
grassroots, non-partisan organization formed to encourage and promote high
levels of openness, accountability, integrity, and responsiveness in our City
Government, endorses Sandra (Sandy) Genis, John Stephens, and Harold
Weitzberg for Costa Mesa City Council in the upcoming November 2012
election.

"We are pleased
to have three strong candidates who oppose the
city charter in its current form and who have the ability to communicatethe change needed in Costa Mesa city government,"
said Robin Leffler, President of CM4RG. "Our endorsed candidates
have strongprofessional backgrounds
and thoughtful, common-sense solutions for Costa Mesa.

We believe Sandy
Genis, John Stephens, and Harold Weitzberg will work well together because
of their common values, in-depth knowledge of
the city's operations, land development, local, state, and
federal laws and how they affect residents,
taxpayers, local businesses, and city employees. We understand they will focus on
public services to protect the residents and
businesses and promote the smooth operations
of our city. They have the experience and willingness to deal with complex
budget issues in a collaborative and constructive way.Finally, Sandy, John,
and Harold have proven that they will do the right thing for the right
reasons. We could not be more pleased."

CM4RG established a non-partisan, three-tier process to select quality candidates, based on several criteria. These included prior involvement in Costa Mesa issues and
institutions, education and professional experience, ability to win in a highly
competitive election, and a high level of agreement with CM4RG’s mission and
policy positions.

An elected committee conducted personal
interviews. A panel of dedicated volunteers observed these
interviews. Then a summary
of answers from each of the candidates was prepared presented to an appointed
group of CM4RG members assembled to represent our broad based demographics,
including every major political party and area of the city. The group of
CM4RG's non-partisan, grassroots members was presented with a choice of 5
candidates interviewed. After group discussion a secret ballot was cast. The vote was unanimous for Sandy
Genis, John Stephens and Harold Weitzberg.

CM4RG
was formed in early 2011 to return Costa Mesa to an open, responsible,
transparent government that is responsive and accountable to its people.

72 Comments:

What's important for the sake of Costa Mesa is taking Righeimer's rubber stamps away. What Costa Mesa can not afford in this election is a Ralph Nader situation.The three candidates with the support necessary to take those three seats are who should be competing and as well intentioned as anyone who finds themselves less supported may be, they will hopefully consider the end result as what's most important.Righeimer's developers would like nothing better than seeing the competition split up the majority votes and lose.

These three people need to be voted onto the City Council if this City wants to change for the better.The current Council has done nothing but create problems, waste money, bash employees and disrespect the residents. Sounds like a great way to run a City Council so if you like the way things are going vote to keep the little guy, the phone-dropping chest bumper and Riggy's favorite little follower Colin to the Council, but if you want a positive change for this GREAT City, vote from the endorsements.

The riggclones are worried. See above. Daddy is probably paddling Fitzy, Colon, and Baby Ethan at least every other day. Is it true Mensy has a punching bag with an airline baggage clerk face painted on it? Or is it a teacher?

The race-obsessed blogger is halfway to Zimbabwe by now.

Keep attacking people like West and those who actually work. Let the entire city clearly see what a bunch of scumbags you all are.

Did the CM4RG folks wait until filing closes to see else gets into the race? No.

This is minor league stuff from a minor league group.

Endorsing a candidate who sued the City and cost our great City Clerk her job, endorsing a candidate who makes a living on medical marijuana, and endorsing a candidate who has fought every good business from coming into the City. Really?

This election is going to be very simple. I'm voting for Krupp, Mensinger and McCarthy. I encourage others to do so also.

Soccer Voter: you are an idiot. No one is against kids. She spoke up against the concerns for all the residents who will be negatively impacted by these lights... and it's more than an hour. Harper Park is one of the smallest parks, with smallest buffer zones. These lights do NOT belong there.

@Soccer voter...ummm, I have scarcely heard much support for our current council around the soccer fields. Good luck with rallying your support there. I on the other hand will be rallying against them. Maybe we will cross paths.

Oh my, the mud slinging is already in full force!Mr Stephens did NOT sue the city. The City Council initiated the action and he pleaded the case for many of us. That's all. The City Council spent the money. The City Council's actions were denied by the court.

Personally, I thank Mr Stephens for giving many of us a voice and respecting the law and its process. I am confident that he will listen, reason and save us a lot of headache and money.

I have equal confidence in Mr Weitzberg and Ms Genis. Sandy and I have not always agreed, but I have never doubted 1) her passion for the long-term health of the City and 2) her ability to work with others.

I am always glad when there is a robust field of candidates, and Stephens and Genis are certainly well-qualified candidates.

I am baffled by the Weitzberg endorsement. He is a foul-tempered hothead who openly denigrated other speakers at a council meeting. Everyone complains about the current council's demeanor - they'd seem like manners experts in comparison to Weitzberg.

Those that have talked to him about city issues know this. He is disdainful, disrespectful and has no interest in listening to other opinions.

Baffled spewed: "am baffled by the Weitzberg endorsement. He is a foul-tempered hothead who openly denigrated other speakers at a council meeting. Everyone complains about the current council's demeanor - they'd seem like manners experts in comparison to Weitzberg."

Translation:Riggy tells us Weitzberg is the guy most able to beat Airport Mensy and Colon. Lie and make up stuff about Weitzberg asap!

@ Baffled (aka: Westside blogger): We appreciate Mr. Weitzberg's intellect, humor, and ability to call a spade a spade. He is not afraid of the bullying and rude comments that our CouncilMEN regularly dish out to the residents who speak at Council meetings. He cares about our once great City and knows he can help get it on the right track again. For those reasons and many others, he is vastly more qualified than the CouncilMen we have today.

4. Increased fees for almost every city service (see 100+ revenue generating recommendations from city staff several years ago - no cuts to pay and benefits, just ways to get more money out of residents and businesses, including seniors.)

5. Dramatically increased business license fee.

6. Dramatically increased TOT.

7. Spiraling pension costs.

Remember, Genis has opposed every major project in Costa Mesa. All of the great things we take for granted, she opposed. She traipsed over th HB to trash our city in fron of their council.

The current council majority needs to be more polite and respectful to public speakers, but the fact is - that is their only failing.

Even the Banning Ranch opponents are blinded by their passion - the council directed staff to fix all the problems identified by speakers. It isn't a done deal. Sandy knows this, but chose to write a false editorial.

In all other ways, they are fighting for the future of Costa MEsa, and they deserve our votes.

@ Common sense (love your ironic nom de plume since you clearly have none): your statements are based on “emotion driven logic” (does that phrase sound familiar??). All of your numerous points are wrong; you know it, the vast majority of Costa Mesans know it. Go back to your Twinkies and leave the real thinking to the smart people.

@ Baffled, you can't understand the Weitzberg endorsement? I understand. All he brings is intelligence, reason, business acumen and success, empathy, understanding, passion and articulation. Yes, that would certainly muddy the waters that the current Council (minus Ms Leece) swim in.

Baffled, Mensinger and Riggy will take you out for a coffee to discuss our city.

Maybe Harry will smoke a dubbie with you.

Sandy will ne able to punctuated ignorance with certainty.

Stephens support is only Katrina Foley. Even his school contacts think he is slimy.

Love that this group is for everyone, yet interviews a select group and nominates prior to final closing. Brilliant these thinkers.

Yo CM4RG numnuts, you better hope that Council & unions don't strike a deal before the election. Can you say no money for you? With Sandy in the race and Sandy being Sandy, many developers will open their check books to prevent her from getting any closer than public comments.

Glad the group ihas leadership like Lafler. Yup, things will be better ...

How about explaining how any of the three CM4RG endorsed candidates would acheive the economic stability and devolopment necessary to ensure the best possible quality of life for all constituencies without those 7 specific things occurring?

Keep in mind that all three of them are vocal opponents of the current council majority and their policies. That assumes opposing all of the efforts to address unsustainable employee compensation and outsourcing. That also assumes that Sandra Genis would continue to oppose essentially all ecomonic development.

I think a couple people who support a council majority with a terrible record got their cages rattled by this announcement.

What's the record on number of comments, Geoff? You may even include the comments where my friends and I are called "numnuts" (sic) twice. Why, I haven't been called that so often since the third grade... :-)

Baffled and Still asking want to know of Harold Weitzberg: Just what are his qualifications? How has he been involved?

Mr.Weitzberg is a successful independent businessman and business consultant with ties to neither unions nor developers. He is beholden to no one.

The negotiating skills that he uses to the benefit of his clients will certainly be useful not only in his stated goals, copied here, but also in negotiations with developers and outside vendors. His goals and methods:

My measurable goals for Costa Mesa:1. Obtain sustainable agreements for pension reform with all city employees, including Police and Fire.2. Eliminate questionable spending practices.3. Improve and Increase the business categories that can thrive in this city and add to the citys growth and positive image.

Im committed to doing the city's business:1. Demonstrably putting residents interests first.2. Enabling meaningful public input to any major decisions.3. Use honest negotiation, not political shortcuts, to find useful compromises and solutions.

His website provides only a brief summary of his wide-ranging interests, involvement, and accomplishments. Check out the summary on weitzberg4costamesa.com .

He is very approachable, and if you are truly interested, contact him and learn more.

In addition to being self-employed and independent, he shares with the other two CM4RG-endorsed candidates, Sandy Genis and John Stephens, intelligence, dedication to Costa Mesa and its residents, an analytic mind, and absolute integrity, which will be refreshing to see.

Besides the general qualities required of a council member, each of the three candidates brings specialized expertise critical to the restoration of Costa Mesa:

Harold Weitzberg is a successful businessman who has aided in the success of many other businesses.

Sandy Genis is a professional land planner who thoroughly knows and honestly applies the rules and principles of sound city development.

John Stephens is an attorney who specializes in business law.

We will be very fortunate indeed to have these three independent, honest, skilled individuals as council members.

Well, Chuckles, I support these three because of the reasons Tamar just explained. Take a good look at that list Harold has for measurable goals. Do you see what is first? It's pension reform. Your friends tried that their way for two years and they failed miserably.

Genis, Stephens, and Weitzberg have had tremendous successes in their professional careers. Costa Mesa needs some winners like them right now.

Every one of the candidates CM4RG endorses recognizes the need for pension reform and prudent budget management. With their varied skills and track records of actually bringing people to the table and accomplishing something constructive, I think they’ll get more done in less time and certainly with less rancor, drama and posturing.

Part of our interview with each potential endorsee covered their plans for the crucial budget issues and for economic development in the city. The three we endorsed were outstanding in the depth of their understanding of these complex challenges facing Costa Mesa and had concrete and creative ideas to address them. They had ideas to attract businesses that would build on the unique qualities of our city, enhance the quality of life here and make it more fun, with benefits for businesses and residents that didn’t mutually exclude each other.

Those are just a few of the reasons they earned CM4RG's endorsemnt. And as the voters get to know these outstanding people and the experience they will bring to the job, its very likely that a majority of residents will endorse them with their vote

I also want to comment to I M 4:'s remark: If you or someone is hinting that the council majority is close to reaching a deal with public safety associations I can only hope it’s true. But I have to wonder if it is an insider violating Brown act protected confidentiality of a closed session. If so, that is not a trustworthy person.

I would speculate that it may happen. This is an election year and everyone’s polling. Even the councilmen know that public safety is a big concern for voters in Costa Mesa right now. They could strike a deal, faced with the political realities. If so, good, I’m all for it. But that doesn’t erase 18 months of an avoidable deteriorating situation. I know 19 people, including my husband, who have had their car or home broken into very recently. That’s only a few it’s happened to. The reasons are inexcusable. The city council micromanaged the police force; reduced staff below prudent levels, hampered efficient deployment of personnel by taking away support staff and mandated work hours instead of letting the senior staff decide how best to run their own department. And have refused to hire replacements to get staffing up to a level that is proactive at preventing crime instead of reactive as crime escalates. Police officers (and fire professionals) are doing their best but many are feeling exhausted with overtime, yet get blamed by councilmen for racking up overtime hours. Why the overtime?. The council has not been able to bring themselves to hire new personnel, so it’s required the officers to work overtime to fulfill minimum staffing needs. Blaming them for salary increases due to overtime is insult to injury. BTW, contrary to statements from the dais, police and fire employees do not get benefits on overtime pay. We want to feel safe in our city.

I hope they reach a deal. I don’t even care if they spin it to try to sound like heroes. We just want to be safe. But we won’t forget what really happened here either. They continue to underestimate the awareness and intelligence of Costa Mesa voters.

People of Costa Mesa, when Robin opens her mouth, we need to listen to her emotional outburst.

I am so dismayed at some who live in our City. No, I do not want to be Newport Beach, but I do notice that when there is a rash of property crimes, crimes of opportunity, their residents do not run to the local Hater blogs nor Council the podium and blame their city Council.

We have Harold talking about the damaged brand of Costa Mesa. Just because he says it does not make it so.

I get that this Council has different ideas of how to run the city. CM4RG says the Council doesn't listen. That is a false conclusion by emotional Haters.

Let's just say for a notifying moment that they pick up even 2 seats and bond with 4-1 Leece. As a former Council supporter, I make my comments encouraging a right turn and they vote to go left.

I would not whine that they did not listen, I would recognize they are operating on a different philosophy, and I would most likely be angry. But I would not mis characterize reality.

Jim Fitzpatrick is a lowlife to claim Sandy is against our kids based on a tough subject. Jim Fitzpatrick is not the type of person anyone should want on any board or commission. I read all these haters comments and who I see acting as the real haters are the council supporters like our mayor who tells citizens to go home and their comments are BS and others like Howard Hull, Colin McCarthy and Jim Fitzpatrick.

The employees are all greedy, tone deaf and out of touch. If you don't vote for or support Big League Dreams or lights at one of our smaller parks for AYSO, when there maybe a better alternative then you are against our children.

I support our Costa Mesa kids in many, many ways and I am on the fence about lighting Harper. Not really against or for it at this point. I guess Fitzpatrick would label me against our children.

This is the exact kind of devisive hate this city doesn't need.

Jim Fitzpatrick to make that comment shows what a slimy, immature and hideous person he is.

Everyone needs a hobby; yours is blaming Council for everything wrong in our city.

I also live in the same part of CM as you and want you to know that crime is up in my area also. These past few weeks we have had a murder and drug arrests and in prior months we have had car break-ins. All this is rather new to all of us. For decades there was not any reportable crime. However I do not blame the current City Council as you do.

Do you really think having a dozen, a hundred or even a thousand more cops on the street would prevent this? It might make a dent, but I doubt it. Unless you envision living in a police state, I say $hit will happen. Whenever something does happen, half the on-duty police force shows up for the event so I find it hard to believe we are dangerously shorthanded. In fact I know you know this because it was asked and answered at a recent Council meeting; we have as many cops on patrol today as we did at our peak levels two years ago. It is not the reduced numbers that are causing our problem, it is much larger than that, but you can keep spewing that BS all you want.

Police, by and large are a reactive entity, they cannot prevent a man from shooting his girlfriend in a moment of anger nor can they monitor every drug deal that goes down. In these cases, the police did a professional job and I thank them, but what is more disturbing to me is you blame the City Council for our crime problems. Ironically, you ONLY do this as a means to promote your organization whose main agenda is to defeat the current council. Your motives and reasons are disingenuous. You need to clean up your act because it stinks.

So who do we blame Robin? Certainly we have to blame someone don’t we, we, we, we? How about the economy? How about the State of California which allows rehab homes to infest nice neighborhoods with drug addicts looking for quick cash to get their next fix? How about the liberal policies of our current president? How about gangs? How about movies and TV violence? How about our school system? How about easy access to just about any type weapon on the market? You see Ms. Lefler, you cannot blame our Council for this. Their primary agenda for the past 2 years has been to fix our city’s finances, a mess accumulated over many years by folks YOU continue to support.

@"Will not listen"- first off, let's stop using "haters" it's juvenile. Second, it's clear when folks are speaking, that council is engaged in anything but listening. It's obvious and has been since day 1.

I don't know Robin, but I do know that her post(s) were not emotional. They were clearly impassioned about the issue though. This whole "emotion driven logic" as a means to devalue an idea or opinion is also getting old. It actually sounds like something I have heard two of our councilmen say in some community meetings.

Lastly, the crux of your post proves exactly what the problem is. The whole "left turn/right turn analogy." local politics should be completely non partisan. The needs of the community should always come before partisanship. Trust me, if it was a bunch of extreme leftists, there would be the same outcry.

I want to believe these guys are fiscal conservatives. I just have not seen that demonstrated. Throwing good money after bad for perceived long term savings is not a good bet. They just haven't learned that if one tactic isn't working you don't keep trying it. I don't want inflexible representation.

CM4RG not listening? Quite the opposite. CM4RG is made up of residents from every walk of life, and Dems, Reps and Libs and Inds. The common thread is they are all fed up. To catagorize this very large group is pretty much impossible. But the one they they are doing...is listening and acting on what the residents are saying. That is..get a new council!!

Riggy put a gag order on the rest of the council, not to reach any deals with the employee groups. He said he would rather sit and wait out the firefighters contract until 2014, YES 2014!!! This guy is piece of work and anybody that thinks he is good for this city needs to be checked into Fairview Hospital.

Robin will not listen...Please stop with the "Hater" comments. Just because someone disagrees with the path the current council majority is taking does not make them "Haters". I get that you disagree with what CM4RG stands for, but try to leave the name calling and insults out of it. It just makes you look foolish. Take the higher ground and your arguments may have more credibility.

...also, anyone that wishes to join CM4RG can do so, and eliminate the worry that they are not being heard. Believe me, these candidates are there to listen and act appropriately to the residents, as that is what has brought this race to a head. Would you rather continue on with being ignored and ridiculed whenever you bring something before the counsel? Not if you have any sense.

It is so comical to me that the same imbecilic losers, the biggest one being Fitzy, continue to use this blog to defend current Council decisions. What exactly do you think you are accomplishing here? Clearly, Geoff and the vast majority of his readers do not support your friends. We do not care how you characterize our posts (as haters) nor do we care to answer your lame requests begging us to cite, discuss or prove anything. The candidates will speak for themselves and more importantly, I am confident the voters will too. So, back to my question, what exactly is your objective? Are you trying to persuade us, gain support for current Council (highly unlikely) or just get ideas to help them prepare talking points or rebuttals or what? As far as I’m concerned, your ridiculous posts on behalf of the unfab 4 are totally wasted on this audience. Try going to some preschools, I think 3-4 year olds would be the only residents who would actually believe your load of crap.

I will confess, once a upon a time I supported Gary and Eric. Unfortunately they did contribute to the problem in their years on council, and in my opinion are still contributing. Now the problem is they haven’t been able to create an atmosphere where associations and the Council can meet in an atmosphere of trust, and get things done. If so we could be realizing millions in savings by now. And over a million more if these guys went to the table first instead of to court when warned by their own attorney to take a few simple steps, a few short months, and then proceed to outsource where it made sense, negotiate terrific savings, and shown early their skill at effective governance.

Sandy Genis by contrast, was part of a Council that kept costs down for years. She is a true fiscal conservative with a proven record.

About crime and why it’s up-I’ve been through economic downturns before. This one is supposedly ending and we didn't have these problems even in the midst of it. It's just like Chief Stavely said when he resigned, these guys are not good managers. Only he didn't put it so politely.

I could get sucked into an argument here and point by point refute the “disingenuous”claims of a few spinners, only to see a point-by-point misinformation screed in return. I have a new D word for you: You “dissemble”

Of course I reject the ‘Hater” label. I love Costa Mesa! So much bile gets spewed by the ones who attack us that I wonder where all the ill will springs from. I suspect you are people who are nice to me (and others in CM4RG) to our faces but anonymously; you’re spiteful and mean. Your problem, not ours.

We’ll say with confidence we –CM4RG- have found 3 candidates who can deal effectively with the myriad challenges facing the City. They have depth, they are ready to realistically tackle every challenge, they have what it takes to turn the City around and restore trust, confidence, and good governance. I won’t predict who will win this race, because I don’t believe in that. But I will not be the least bit surprised if we have a new, Costa-Mesa centric majority on the City Council in November! I will say, these 3 can go the distance to November and 4 years beyond! Everyone should get to know them and what their experience and solutions really are, not words a few shills put in their mouths, or misinformation the dissemblers put out.

My favorite quote from “The Charter Missed Deadline Trial:” Grabowski: ($500city lawyer) “We represent the majority of citizens of Costa Mesa.” Judge Miller: “I think you confuse the City Council Majority with the Majority of Citizens.” Grabowski: “I see no distinction” Judge: “Oh, but I do, that’s why City Council Majorities some times turn into minorities!”

So lets do it, Costa Mesans. Lets turn the city council Majority into a Minority!

I agree with the eloquently written post by Robin. LET’S DO THIS Costa Mesa!!!! Take back our future and oust these losers once and for all! Don’t engage Fitzy in a blow by blow commentary here, he is simply not worth it.

"Debating" a tool like Fitzy is a waste of time, energy, and space. His master instructs him to do this stuff and disrupt. Best thing to do is ignore him. Less posting time might motivate him to get a job or lick Riggy's boots even cleaner.

I am supporting Mensinger, Monahan and McCarthy because they are the only ones who have concrete goals.

Mr. Weitzberg states that he seeks to obtain sustainable agreements for pension reform with all city employees, including Police and Fire.

That is what this and the previous council has proposed, and were shut down by the associations. Interim measures don't cut it, and the months of negotiations preceding the 10-26-10 contract extensions didn't come close to sustainability. Weitzberg shares everyone's goal.

Eliminate questionable spending practices. Like what? Attorney fees?

Improve and Increase the business categories that can thrive in this city and add to the city’s growth and positive image.

The existing Council has done more to acheive this than any previous council, including the establishment of a dedicated economic development executive position. I wonder if Mr. Weitzberg considers dramatic increases in business license fees and other fees as enconomic incubators?

I look forward to the candidate forums so that his positions can be fleshed out further.

If you had been following events in Costa Mesa since 2008, when the economic meltdown became apparent, you would know that the public safety employee associations have fought pension reform tooth and nail.

Even when faced with the prospect of 70-100 layoffs and a $9 million deficit, the police association president refused to offer anything more than picking up just over half of the EMPLOYEE share of CalPers contributions. No second tier, no full employee share, no increased retirement age. He wanted a 4-year contract extension in exchange.

Sandra Genis actually said that children playing is noise pollution. She said kids playing would destroy the "you can hear a pin drop" quality of the neighborhood. She said that kids playing would keep people up late (8:00pm) who would also have to wake up early to deal with Starbucks traffic.

Damn noisy kids... your comment is simply a lie. Ms. Genis mentioned Kids just one time in her 3 minutes and not in the demeanor you try to portray. You claim she mentioned the kids this and kids that is just a lie.

She said the residents would have to deal with the noise of the generators and the kids. Simple and factual claim.Are you saying the kids and coaches wont make noise while playing?

In regards to the pin drop she never said the kids. She said the noise and she further referred to the constant hum so she was mainly referring to the generator at that point.

She also never said the kids would keep the residents up to 8pm. She said the they would have to deal with the noise till then. And if you watch the tape you will understand all the noise Traffic, generator etc. She never singled out or said kids at that point either as you claimed.

So I encourage you to watch the tape again, pay attention and put away your biased lies while doing so.

Also did you buy the people on the eastside don't want to drive to the Fairview sight? Really, this is stopping people from participating? How big is our entire city? Costa Mesa residents can't drive 2-3 miles to lit fields.

The issue isn't as easy as many claim. And nobody should be accused of being against our kids. That is just Fitpatrick being...well Fitpatrick.

It's kind of like when we cut funding to schools and teachers the dems claim we don't like kids. It's a lame and irresponsible statement.

Gives me hope for the future of Costa Mesa. Thank you cm4rg for focusing the spotlight on these three alternatives to the current majority.

If Sandy is listed on the ballot the same as she was years ago, it will be as Sandra L.(Sandy) Genis. She was one of the best (and most entertaining to listen to, but never rude or disrepectful) council members we've ever had. She will be the best again. John and Harold, the more I hear, the more impressed I am. This group will be good for Costa Mesa!

Conventional political wisdom is that your campaign MUST go negative -- but only in the first six of the last eight weeks; in the last two you must apologize for the negativity that your overzealous backers put forth, and say you're not gonna do it any more.

Here, fourteen weeks before the election, we have a desperate crew of incumbents and their toadies getting REALLY negative. They're doing it pseudonymously, for two reasons: first, they've not enough courage to present their real names; and second, a single dork using multiple pseudonyms may appear to the uninitiated to be many dorks. I'm using my real name; I'd like to challenge all the dorks in this crew to do the same, if you can muster the testicular fortitude to do so.

Let me put forth a bit of a conundrum here: Wendy Leece, in joining and making the council majority for accepting the associations' agreement on that fateful last day of the previous council, displayed more balls than ANY anonymous poster here. She was joined in that majority by Katrina Foley (as expected) and Gary Monahan. Katrina's gone; but Gary and Wendy still remain. Yet all the dorks' opprobrium seems to fall on Leece; none of it is reserved to Monahan. Either of them, had they switched votes, could have fulfilled Righeimer's dream of a better (read: More Righeimer) world; yet nobody hacks Gary for being a bad guy. Does anybody wonder why this is? I certainly do.

Ah, well. See you all at council next Tuesday. I'll have something to say.

Nice post which The candidates selected are former mayor Sandra Genis, attorney and long-time Costa Mesa resident John Stephens and entrepreneur and activist Harold Weitzberg. They all are members of CM4RG. That, in my opinion, does not degrade the importance of this endorsement. Thanks a lot for posting.

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* Details at http://bit.ly/16kGDVh